--dry-run doesn't work with --mkpath when copying files

[pkzc]

When I try dry-running rsync for a single file (gitconfig) I get this:

+ rsync --dry-run --recursive --mkpath --links --perms --times --omit-dir-times /home/peter/src/gitlab/gkwf/home/.config/git/gitconfig /tmp/usr/local/share/git/gitconfig
rsync: [Receiver] change_dir#3 "/tmp/usr/local/share/git" failed: No such file or directory (2)
rsync error: errors selecting input/output files, dirs (code 3) at main.c(829) [Receiver=3.4.1]
+ set +x

I know that the canonical answer is that I should do this:

+ rsync --dry-run --recursive --mkpath --links --perms --times --omit-dir-times /home/peter/src/gitlab/gkwf/home/.config/git/gitconfig /tmp/usr/local/share/git/
+ set +x

But my real goal is to copy the file by another name to the destination:

+ rsync --dry-run --recursive --mkpath --links --perms --times --omit-dir-times /home/peter/src/gitlab/gkwf/home/.config/git/gitconfig /tmp/usr/local/share/git/config
rsync: [Receiver] change_dir#3 "/tmp/usr/local/share/git" failed: No such file or directory (2)
rsync error: errors selecting input/output files, dirs (code 3) at main.c(829) [Receiver=3.4.1]
+ set +x

The latter nicely succeeds in a live run:

+ rsync --recursive --mkpath --links --perms --times --omit-dir-times /home/peter/src/gitlab/gkwf/home/.config/git/gitconfig /tmp/usr/local/share/git/config
+ set +x
$ ls /tmp/usr/local/share/git/
config

That is I am unable to verify with a dry run a legitimate rsync operation which eventually, as it turns out, works perfectly. I also checked the destination directory with the help of chattr: rsync does not modify it in the course of the dry runs, therefore I feel it unjust that rsync treats destination files and destination directories differently during dry runs.

Environment:

$ rpm -q rsync
rsync-3.4.1-5.fc43.x86_64

$ uname -srv
Linux 6.19.13-200.fc43.x86_64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Sat Apr 18 20:20:44 UTC 2026